Dartmouth Academy’s Foundation Unit Building together for a child’s future
Dartmouth Academy’s Foundation unit – including its specialist nursery – is a unique option for parents with young children because of its connection to the All Through Academy.
Working with Parents for the good of the Child “We try to work with parents before the child starts in nursery,” said emma Heard, a qualified teacher and early years specialist. “We think it’s vital to work with the parents of each of our pupils to help the child succeed in their school career. “ sue livesey, Foundation stage and Key stage 1 Manager and Teacher of Reception Class, said: “Our aim is to create a secure and safe environment which allows each child to grow, learn and feel part of the unit and part of the Academy family. “some children need to build their confidence, and take time to get used to being away from their parents – we help them grow their self-assurance. The children can then build on that foundation and develop their other skills too.” Part of a larger family unlike many nurseries, Dartmouth Acad- emy’s youngest do take part in assemblies and other areas of Academy life, such as buddy reading with older children. As children progress they begin to use learning methods which are picked up in subsequent years – such as literacy scheme Read, Write, Inc – helping them to prepare for their later school career in a fun and relaxed way. Structure and learning within play A child’s visit to the nursery each day is shaped by planned activities, using play or social interaction as a learning tool. “We carefully select the activities on offer, which the children will then choose from,” said emma. “We create opportunities for the children to develop their skills through play. The chil- dren are learning all the time and we help them to see learning itself can be fun!” sue said: “There are so many ways to learn and we have clear focuses in our curriculum, teaching social, language, number and independence skills. We aim to create a developmental journey for each child so that they are ready for their first school transition from nursery to Reception. Thanks to the integrated nature of Dartmouth Academy we can make sure the steps up the educational ladder are smoother and easier for everyone, child and parent.”
“They both came
on in leaps and bounds after joining.” Vicki Hart, Parent
Stronger Together nursery and Reception children are all together in the same unit and this closeness means innovative working practices can help each child’s development. “nursery children who are doing well in Maths might spend a little time in Reception to help them progress quicker,” said emma. “That familiarity helps them when it becomes time to move up – it helps their learning and their confidence.” Design brings focus every aspect of the Foundation unit’s operation is designed to aid learning and behaviour – even the interior decoration. “unlike many nurseries and reception units we have quite muted colour schemes here,” said sue. “It is an internationally rec- ognised idea called Communication Friendly spaces. We have created clean, calm spaces to help the children focus. “By reducing the colours and displays we can reduce the outside stimulation the chil-
dren feel, which allows them to focus on the games and tasks they are involved in. The chil- dren are calmer, learn more effectively and don’t notice any difference from more brightly coloured
spaces.” emma said: “This approach has been taken into our new build – we have been involved in part of the planning process to create the perfect environment for learning.” Outdoor play contributes to learning A key part of the Foundation unit’s ethos is its outdoor play. Outdoor areas have been carefully planned so that they reinforce the learning the children undertake inside. Parent Foundation parents love the structure and aims of the Foundation unit. Vicki Hart has sent both her children to the Foundation unit and said she was delighted with the experience they had. “I wanted them to benefit from the structure and focus the unit has on learning,” she said. “They both came on in leaps and bounds after joining. The great thing was the easy transition they both made from nursery into Recep- tion – there wasn’t really any transition at all! This helped them to feel safe and secure and allowed them to continue their rapid development. I cannot praise the Dartmouth Academy Foundation unit enough.”•
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